The present invention is directed to a printing apparatus adapted to print information on a print media in a simple and efficient manner. The device is engineered for inexpensive manufacture in order to render the printing apparatus available for use by small proprietors and businesses. The printing apparatus is constructed for use with specialty print media, such as lottery cards, wherein it is important that the integrity of the print media not be damaged when identification information is printed thereon.
The printing industry has become increasingly pervasive in modern times, yet there remains a need for small automated printing units that are economical in construction giving individuals and small business entities the ability to purchase such device for use in low volume printing tasks. Although some printing devices have been developed in the past which are fairly small and compact, there apparently is no wide spread use of these devices in small business applications. An example of such a hand operated printing device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 835,903 issued Nov. 13, 1906 to W. C. Grant. The device according to this patent includes a hand driven platen roller and an upper print roller carrying printing elements. The print roller is secured to a pair of upright supports by means of a spring biased mechanism pressing the printing elements against the platen roller. Inking rollers distribute a print fluid onto the printing elements.
Another apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 872,302 issued Nov. 26, 1907 to M. McMahon. In the McMahon patent, a print roller is formed of a half cylinder and is mounted between a pair of upright supports. The print roller carries a printing element that contacts an inking roller which coats the printing element with printing fluids as the print roller is rotated by a hand crank. A platen roller is upwardly biased between a pair of vertical supports so that it may contact the printing element as it is rotated.
Despite the structure shown in the prior art, a need has arisen for a printing apparatus that is specifically adapted to print identification information on lottery tickets. This need has resulted from the institution by several state governments of state controlled lotteries as a method of raising revenue. Such lotteries typically take the form of small tickets that may be purchased by a player; each ticket carries prize information hidden by an opaque material that is readily removed from the ticket by scratching the ticket with a coin or other rigid object. Sellers of these tickets are often required to stamp an identification number on the back of each ticket so that the state may monitor the sales of the winning lottery tickets as well as for other identification purposes.
The problem that has confronted many businesses, such as grocery stores, filling stations and the like, is that they must hand stamp a large number of these lottery tickets. Hand stamping the tickets is time consuming and expensive where a business must pay an employee to perform this simple task. Some businesses have tried various printing devices to automatically print an identification number on each ticket, but two significant problems have been confronted. First, since the lottery tickets are normally connected in a long sequential series, a problem has arisen in the lack of ability for the identification number to be stamped at a precise location on each consecutive ticket. A second, and more significant problem, is that conventional printing apparatus often removes portions of the opaque masking material so that a portion of the hidden prize information is exposed. Naturally, this ruins the tickets so that they must be returned and destroyed resulting in a financial loss and in an increase in administrative time for the lottery.
Accordingly, a need has recently arisen for a printing apparatus that is simple in construction so that it may be inexpensive in manufacture, thus allowing small businesses to purchase the printing apparatus. A need has also arisen for a simply constructed printing apparatus that can print identification information on a delicate print media, such as lottery tickets at a precise location and without marring the print media.